Blog Update - Flashback Management

[Jamie]

Flashback Management
By Pete Walker

A significant percentage of adults who suffered ongoing abuse or neglect in childhood suffer from Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. One of the most difficult features of this type of PTSD is extreme susceptibility to painful emotional flashbacks. Emotional flashbacks are sudden and often prolonged regressions ('amygdala hijackings') to the frightening circumstances of childhood. They are typically experienced as intense and confusing episodes of fear and/or despair - or as sorrowful and/or enraged reactions to this fear and despair. Emotional flashbacks are especially painful because the inner critic typically overlays them with toxic shame, inhibiting the individual from seeking comfort and support, isolating him in an overwhelming and humiliating sense of defectiveness...

[Stephen]

Very impressed, describes my experience with flashbacks and CPTSD accurately and good 13 step management at the end. I'll be using this, thankyou Jamie and Pete.

[Lisa_Lisa]

Really good to see a description of emotional flashbacks. My fleeing is more literal though, I've been trying to find out how common this is, the literally running away. I'm looking for something that explains this in a way that my other half can better understand. Psychoeducation is maybe also needed for friends and families of survivors. But I think I could maybe show some of this to try to explain it.

[Cwtch]

Thank you so much.

“Emotional flashbacks are especially painful because the inner critic typically overlays them with toxic shame, inhibiting the individual from seeking comfort and support, isolating him in an overwhelming and humiliating sense of defectiveness...”

This is EXACTLY how I feel and I can feel it in my body too, the adrenaline response and fear.

Amazing stuff, thanks again!